Apparatus for cleaning and preparing fiber.



APPLICATION FILED BBPT. 17, 1907.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

1 ml: nomus PITIRI 5a., vuullmzn'm. n. c.

JUSTIN KAY 'TOLES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING FIBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed. September 17, 1907. Serial No. 393,407.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, JUSTIN KAY TOLES, a. citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, Stateof California, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus forCleaning and Preparing Fiber; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cleanin and preparing fiber,and has among other oojects to provide in a device of this class, meanswhereby the strain on the fibers will be distributed among the mass offibers being treated, avoiding breakage and waste of the material.

The invention consists substantially of a plurality of scutching bladesalternating with a lurality of teeth; means to actuate the bla es andteeth and devices to feed the fiber to, and to hold it in a position tobe acted upon by said blades and teeth.

One form of the invention is herein described and is illustrated in theaccompanying drawin in which- Figure 1 is a sectional View of theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail of one of the combs. Fig. 3 is an enlargedsection of one of the combined scutching blades and combs. Fig. 4 is adiagram showing the manner in which the fiber is acted 011 by theapparatus.

Reference numerals 1 and 2 designate combined feed and grip rolls,between which the fiber to be treated is fed. Immediately below therolls are mounted devices for carrying and operating the scutchingblades and combs, which devices in this instance consist of sprocketwheels 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, carrying chains 9 and 13, chain 9 travelingover sprockets 3, 4 and 5, and chain 13, over sprocket 6, 7 and 8. It isto be understood that these sets of sprockets and chains are induplicate, there being one at each side of the machine. Chain 9 carriesone end of each of a plurality of members which consist of spacing andstiffening bars 10, to one side of each of which is secured a scutchingblade 11, and to the other side a comb 12, said comb preferablyconsisting of a bar carrving a plurality of rectangular teeth which areslightly rounded on the lower front face. The other ends of bars 10 aresupported by the chain at the opposite side of the machine. Chain 13carries members consisting of the spacing and stilfening bars 11, towhich are attached scutching blades 15 and combs 16, similar inconstruction to those previously mentioned. The members on chain 9 arearranged to occupy a position intermediate of those on chain 13, at thepoint where they act on the fiber. The working ends of teeth 12 and 16extend beyond the ends of scutching blades 11 and 15 with which they arerespectively associated, and the spaces between the teeth extendinwardly of the face of the blades. Again, it should be noted that theseries of teeth on successive members are not on alinement. By theconstruction of the blades and teeth, as described, and the arrangement,as above pointed out, of the members of which the blade and teeth form apart, is secured effective action on the fiber by the members to cleanit of the woodv substances or shive and to parallel the individualfibers.

Oil shields 17, are provided to prevent the oil, from the bearings ofthe machine, coming in contact with the fiber being treated.

The shaft upon which sprocket wheel 5 is mounted has keyed to it bevelgear 18 driven by pinion 20, on shaft 22, and sprocket wheel 8 is drivenby gear 19, meshing with pinion 2]., on shaft 22. These gears andpinions are arranged so that sprocket wheels 5 and 8 turn in differentdirections. Shaft 22 may be driven by any preferred source of power (notshown).

The mode of operation is as follows: M0- tion being imparted tosprockets 5 and 8, and to rolls 1 and 2 in the direction indicated bythe arrows, fiber is fed between rolls 1 and 2. Passing down betweensaid rolls it is acted on by the scutching blades 11 and 15, and bycombs 12 and 16, whereupon the motion of the rolls 1 and 2 is stopped.The position of the scutching blades in relation to the combs is suchthat the fiber can not come in contact with the bottoms of the spacesbetween the teeth of the comb. At the point where the work on the fiberis accomplished the blades of each chain project beyond the median lineso that they act to hold the fiber to limit the penetration of the teethand hold it with sufficient tension to permit efiective action of theteeth thereon. The bundle of fiber is pressed together, causing frictionbetween the individual fibers, thus relievin them of undue strain andpreventing breakage. The teeth of combs 12 and 16 ass through the massof fibers and their ed es act in a similar manner but at right ang es toblades 11 and 15, separating the broken straw or shive from that portionof the fiber which can not be reached by the straight blades; alsoassisting the large blades in paralleling the fibers. The form given thepoints of the teeth prevents them from cutting or tearing the fibers.

I claim:

1. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a scutching blade, a comb spacedtherefrom and attached thereto, means for holding fiber and means forrogressing said blade and comb.

2. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a scutching blade, a comb supportedadjacent thereto, said comb having rectangular teeth with roundedworking ends, means to hold fiber and means to progress said blade andcomb.

3. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, members comprisin scutching blades,and combs supported a 1acent to said blades and associated therewith toscutch at an angle thereto, said blades and combs constructed andarranged to hold fiber away -from the bottoms of the spaces between theteeth of said combs, means to hold fiber, and means to progress saidblades and combs.

4. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a plurality of scutching bladesarranged to operate on opposite sides of a bundle of fibers, scutchingmeans associated with said blades and acting on the bundle of fibers atright angles to the action thereon by said blades, means to hold saidfibers, and means to progress said blades.

5. In a fiber cleaning apparatus. a plurality of scutching bladesarranged alternately to operate on opposite sides of a bundle of fibers,a plurality of teeth associated with said blades and acting at rightangles there- 'to, means to hold sa1d fibers, and means to progress saidblades.

6. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a plurality of scutching bladesarranged alternately to operate on opposite sides of a bundle of fibers,the edges of said blades projecting beyond a median line at the workingpoint, a pluralit of teeth associated with said blades an acting atright angles thereto,

means to hold said fiber, and means to progress said blades.

7. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a plurality of wheels, chains passingover said wheels, members carried by said chain and comprising scutchingblades with combs attached thereto and spaced therefrom, means to holdfiber, and means to rotate said wheels.

8. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a plurality of wheels, chains passinover said Wheels, alternate scutching blades and teeth provided withedges at right angles to the working face of said blades carried by saidchains; means to hold fiber, and means to rotate said Wheels.

9. In a fiber cleaning a paratus, a member comprisin a scutching blade,and straight edged teet associated with but spaced from said blade, theworking ends of said teeth extending beyond the working face of saidblade.

10. In a fiber cleanin apparatus, a member comprising a scutc iingblade, straight edged teeth associated with but spaced from said blade,the Working ends of said teeth being rounded and extending beyond theworking face of said blade.

11. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a member comprising a scutchingblade, and straight edged teeth associated with but spaced from saidblade, the working ends of said teeth extending beyond the working faceof said blade and the bottom of the spaces between said teeth extendinginwardly beyond said face.

12. In a fiber cleaning apparatus, a plurality of co-acting members eachcomprising a scutching blade associated with a lurality of teeth butspaced therefrom, sai members arranged to operate oppositely at theworking point, the working ends of successive mem ers extending onopposite sides of a median line at such point.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses at Los Angeles, county of LosAngeles, State of California, this 6 day of September, A. D. 1907.

JUSTIN KAY TOLES. Witnesses:

MARGARET IVALsH, LUCY E. WHEELER.

